Weather Resistant Portable Jump Rope Platform

ABSTRACT

A Weather Resistant Portable Jump Rope Platform comprising of a hard flexible platform affixed to an array of foam panels. As the user jumps rope and impacts the platform, the hard flexible platform and foam panels collectively absorb and disperse the energy of impact suppressing the pounding noise associated with jumping rope. The resiliency of the hard flexible platform will then rebound the user out of the impact compression similar to a competitive jump rope floor. The platform and foam panels are resistant to the damaging effects of ultraviolet light and inclement weather allowing the user to operate in a wide range of environments. The flexible platform surface also functions as a media platform for marketing and advertising.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is not related to any other applications.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

This application is not the subject of any federally sponsored researchor development.

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

There have been no joint research agreements entered into with any thirdparties.

REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR A JOINTINVENTOR

There have been no disclosures made by the inventor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to the art of exercise, morespecifically, jumping rope. Relative Cooperative Patent Classifications:A63B 5/08, 5/20, 6/02, and 69/0035.

Jumping rope is considered an impact sport, and as such, can result inimpact related injuries. There are several precautions that can be takento minimize the risk of impact related injuries. One of the moresignificant precautions is the type of floor surface jumping rope on.However, the type of floor surface will also affect the performance ofthe individual jumping rope.

Hard surfaces, such as concrete and asphalt, are solid which allow youto easily push off from. The rough texture provides an excellent gripminimizing the risk of slipping. You can jump rope fast on concrete andasphalt because they provide an excellent rebound. However, concrete andasphalt are very dense and do not provide any shock absorption uponlanding. This places stress on ankles, knees, hip joints, and increasesthe chance of shin splints. In addition, both concrete and asphalt haveabrasive surfaces that can significantly reduce the life span of a jumprope.

Shock absorbing surfaces, such as foam, carpet with padding, and gymmats, provide excellent shock absorbing properties. However, becausethey're not firm like concrete and asphalt, require more force to pushoff due to the loss of rebound and having to jump out of the cushioning.The increased force required will slow down the jumping pace, which willdecrease the cardiovascular benefit and also increases stress on thelegs.

The jump rope community, including the International Rope SkippingFederation, recommends a floor surface that provides both cushioning andrebound. Their recommendation is a suspended wooden floor. A suspendedwooden floor provides cushioning to minimize stress on the lower body,and also has the resiliency to rebound the user out of the cushioningfor maximum performance. For most jump rope enthusiasts, this type ofsurface is only available at select gyms and out of reach for many.There are no portable solutions that are tailored for jumping rope thatsatisfy the recommendation of the jump rope community.

Another consideration is the ability to accommodate marketing andadvertising. In today's society, marketing and advertising is presentalmost everywhere, and is especially prevalent in the sporting industry.A weather resistant portable jump rope platform would be an idealcandidate to accommodate marketing and advertising.

Prior art includes several exercise apparatuses, most notably: JoggingBoard (U.S. Pat. No. 3,634,895), Jumping Board (U.S. Pat. No.4,323,231), System for Skip Rope Exercising (U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,375),and Shock Absorbing Exercise Board (20160144214). Although none of theseapparatuses are designed specifically as weather resistant portable jumprope platforms, they do share a similar cushioning functionality.However, none of these apparatuses provide rebound capability, disperseimpact, provide noise suppression, are resistant to ultraviolet light orinclement weather, or are media platforms for marketing and advertising.

There are also various homemade solutions consisting of full or partialsheets of plywood with wood or foam blocks attached underneath each end.When constructed effectively, these solutions can provide bothcushioning and rebound. However, these solutions are not built forportability, do not disperse the energy of impact, provide noisesuppression, are resistant to ultraviolet light or inclement weather, ormedia platforms for marketing and advertising.

There are also numerous rubber mats available of various dimensions.None of these mats are specifically designed for jumping rope and nonedisperse the energy of impact or provide rebound capability.

The prior art described in the previous paragraphs have shortcomingsincluding, but not limited to: 1) only partially satisfy the jump ropecommunities recommended jump rope floor surface, 2) do not providerebound capability, 3) do not disperse the energy of impact fromjumping, 4) do not suppress the noise associated with jumping, 5) arenot resistant to ultraviolet light or inclement weather, 6) not designedspecifically for jumping rope, 7) are not media platforms for marketingand advertising. With the ever increasing popularity of jumping rope,there is a market for a technically advanced weather resistant portablejump rope platform that meets the desired criteria of the jump ropecommunity.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a weather resistant portable Jump Rope Platformthat provides cushioning and rebound capability satisfying therecommended jump rope floor criteria set forth by the jump ropecommunity. In addition, the present invention is resistant toultraviolet light and inclement weather, and incorporates noisesuppressing properties. These additional attributes allow the portablejump rope platform to be used in a wide array of environments. Andfinally, the platform surface is a media platform for marketing andadvertising.

The present invention is comprised of a hard flexible platform surfaceattached on top of strategically placed foam panels. The platformsurface is elevated allowing it to “flex” under the impact force ofjumping, but resilient enough to rebound the jumper out of thecompression. The foam panels provide the noise suppressing element bydispersing the energy generated from the force of user impact andpreventing the flexing platform surface from contacting the ground orfloor.

The components of the present invention are resistant to ultravioletlight and inclement weather. The flexible platform surface is asynthetic, composite, or combination of both (e.g. Nylon Board, OutdoorDecking). The foam is designed for indoor/outdoor use and is of closedcell nature to prevent water absorption.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of the present invention from an elevatedperspective.

FIG. 2 is a side profile illustrating the tapered leading and trailingedges of the flexible platform and foam panels.

FIG. 3 is an underside view illustrating the foam panels.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of the present invention in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description, along with the accompanying drawingsto which it refers, are intended to describe the embodiments of thepresent invention which overcome many of the deficiencies andlimitations of the current art.

FIG. 1 of the attached drawings is a fully assembled top view of thepresent invention from an elevated perspective illustrating thecomponents and elements of the invention. Referencing FIG. 1, thepresent invention comprises of a hard flexible platform surface 1,tapered leading and trailing edges 2, integrated handles 3, leading andtrailing edge foam panels 4, and side foam panel 5.

FIG. 2 is a side view perspective of the present invention. ReferencingFIG. 2, the hard flexible platform surface 1, tapered leading andtrailing edges 2, integrated handle 3, leading and trailing edge foampanels 4, and side foam panel 5.

FIG. 3 is an underside view of the present invention. Referencing FIG.3, the hard flexible platform surface 1, integrated handles 3, leadingand trailing edge foam panels 4, and side foam panels 5.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the present invention illustrating therelationship and assembly of the hard flexible platform surface 1 withleading and trailing edge foam panels 4, and side foam panels 5.

FIG. 5 illustrates the present invention in use by user 6.

The hard flexible platform 1 depicted in FIGS. 1 through 5 is made of asynthetic, composite, or combination thereof material that isultraviolet light and inclement weather resistant (e.g. Nylon Board,Outdoor Decking). The hard flexible platform measures approximately 4feet in length, 2 feet in width, and 0.625 inches thick. The platformsurface is textured to minimize the potential of slipping. The platformis elevated at both ends to allow “flex” under the stress of user impactthereby providing a cushioning effect. Once the maximum flex isachieved, the platforms resiliency will spring it back to nominal shapeand rebound the user out of the cushioning. The resiliency is obtainedthrough the thickness and composition of the hard flexible platformmaterial. The hard flexible platform surface is a media platform formarketing and advertising.

The tapered leading and trailing edges 2 of the platform are depicted inFIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5. These edges are tapered approximately 4 inchesfrom each end of the platform. The tapered edges ensure a smooth jumprope passage as it transitions from ground/floor to platform surface,and elevate the hard flexible platform surface approximately 1.5 inchesabove the floor/ground.

The present invention contains two integrated handles 3 as depicted inFIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 5. These handles are located midway down the lengthof each side of the platform and measure approximately 4 inch by 1¼inch. The integrated handles are designed to assist in product handling.There are two handles for convenience, only one is necessary to pick upand carry the platform.

Foam panels 4 and 5 are depicted in FIGS. 1 through 5. Foam panels 4 areleading/trailing edge panels, foam panels 5 are left and right panels.These panels are approximately 1.5 inches thick, ultraviolet light andinclement weather resistant, and designed for outdoor use. These foampanels are strategically attached with an adhesive to the underside ofthe hard flexible platform 1. The foam panels provide stability andaugment the hard flexible platforms ability to absorb the impact of theuser. They also disperse the energy generated from the force of userimpact over a broad area and prevent the hard flexible platform fromcontacting the ground or floor. Dispersing the energy of impact over abroad area and preventing the platform surface from contacting the floorare both noise suppressing elements, which allow the user to jump ropein a broad array of environments. The leading and trailing edge foampanels 4 are tapered to accommodate the hard flexible platforms taperedleading and trailing edge. The left and right foam panels 5 are tailoredto accommodate the integrated handles 3.

Referencing FIG. 5, as the user 6 jumps on the platform, the energy ofimpact is absorbed by the flexible platform surface 1 and foam panels 4and 5. When the energy of impact is fully absorbed, the resiliency ofthe flexible platform will spring back to its nominal shape and reboundthe user out of the cushioning. The foam panels disperse the energygenerated from user impact over a broad area significantly reducing thepounding noise associated with jumping rope. The foam panels alsoprevent the hard flexible platform from contacting the floor therebyeliminating another source of noise. When finished jumping rope, theuser can move the weather resistant jump rope platform by simplygrabbing either one of the integrated handles 3.

I claim:
 1. A weather resistant portable jump rope platform consistingof a platform adhesively attached to foam panels wherein the platforminteracts with the user and foam panels, and the foam panels interactwith the platform and ground or floor surface wherein the weatherresistant portable jump rope platform is placed.
 2. The portable jumprope platform of claim 1, in which the platform is comprised ofsynthetic or composite or combination thereof material.
 3. The portablejump rope platform as in any one of the preceding claims, in which theplatform is hard and flexible.
 4. The portable jump rope platform as inany one of the preceding claims, in which the platform dimensions areapproximately 4 foot in length, 2 foot in width, and 0.625 inches thick.5. The portable jump rope platform as in any one of the precedingclaims, in which the platform is resistant to ultraviolet light.
 6. Theportable jump rope platform as in any one of the preceding claims, inwhich the platform is resistant to inclement weather.
 7. The portablejump rope platform as in any one of the preceding claims, in which theplatform contains two integrated handles, one each midway down thelength of the left and right side of the platform measuring 4 inch by 1¼Inch.
 8. The portable jump rope platform as in any one of the precedingclaims, in which the platform surface is textured.
 9. The portable jumprope platform as in any one of the preceding claims, in which theplatform surface is neutral in color.
 10. The portable jump ropeplatform as in any one of the preceding claims, in which the platform istapered at each end of the length.
 11. The portable jump rope platformof claim 10, in which the tapered ends of the platform elevate theplatform approximately 1.5 inches.
 12. The portable jump rope platformof claim 1, in which the foam panels consist of a leading edge foampanel, trailing edge foam panel, left foam panel, and right foam panel.13. The portable jump rope platform of claim 12, in which the foampanels are of closed cell nature.
 14. The portable jump rope platform ofclaim 12, in which the foam panels are resistant to ultraviolet light.15. The portable jump rope platform of claim 12, in which the foampanels are resistant to inclement weather.
 16. The portable jump ropeplatform of claim 12, in which the foam panels are adhesively attachedto the platform.
 17. The portable jump rope platform of claim 12, inwhich left and right side foam panels accommodate the integratedhandles.
 18. The portable jump rope platform of claim 12, in which theleading and trailing edge foam panels are tapered.
 19. The portable jumprope platform of claim 1, in which the adhesive to attach the foampanels to the platform is waterproof.